Tachigami-iwa is a striking sea stack on Yonaguni's southern coast — a column of sandstone rising dramatically from the ocean, separated from the main cliffs by the erosive action of the sea. The name means "standing god rock" in the local dialect, and the shape does have a monolithic, almost totemic quality. The views along this stretch of coast, with the dark cliffs dropping sheer to turquoise water and Taiwan visible on clear days 111 kilometres to the west, are among the finest on the island.
The rock can be seen from the coastal road and from a small viewing area nearby. It is particularly photogenic in the late afternoon when the light hits the west-facing cliffs. Wild Yonaguni horses sometimes graze on the grassy clifftops nearby, providing a scene that feels genuinely remote from the rest of Japan.